Carriage-body



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

' c. A. READE. GARRIAGB BODY.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

N4 PETERS. Pholvljlhogmpher. Wazhingion PATENT Fries. Y

CHARLES A. READE, OF GHIOAGQ ILLINOIS.

CARRIAGE-@BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,162, dated January 10, 1888.

Application filed May 16, 1:87. Scr'al No. 238,313. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. READE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi-' nois, have invented a new and useful Cab or Carriage Body, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cabs and carriages, and is designed particularly for application to hansom-cabs. Its object is to provide a" new support for cab bodies, 'an adjustable seat whereby the driver may change his position to balance the weight of the occupant, and a folding body which will permit the doors to be folded down, the top to be folded, and the windows and side frame to be removed, so as to leave the entire forward part of the body open. This latter portion ofthe invention is equally applicable tocabs or carriages. These objects I accomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherein Figure 1 is a view of the cab-body folded up for summer use. the same body applied to a carriage, but unfolded and ready for winter use. Fig. 3 is a cross section showing supporting-rods. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the curved door, showing in dotted lines the upperhinged portion in process of being lowered on its hinges. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail cross-sections of the center post or side post, as the case may be, the upper and lower sections of the same being shown folded or'extended. Fig. 8 is a section of thetop showing the sliding mechanism, the same being extended. Fig. 9 is the same folded or telescoped together. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the guideway and rod. Fig. 11 is the seat. Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views of the mechanism which connects the two parts of the top.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the figures. i I

A is the body of the cab; B, the window; 0, the rear portion of the top; 0, the forward portion of the top; C, a guideway, hollow, and round or square in cross-section and secured to the inner upper side portion of the cab-body. C is a longitudinal recess through the same.

G is a rod passing into the guideway. G is a set-screw whereby the rod may be Fig. 2 is av side view of v manner. supports the forward end of the cab when it locked in position. C is a link connecting the forward end of this rod to the part G of the cab-top. D is a wheel of the carriage. E are the springs which support it.

Fis the bottom of the carriage; G, the forward seatsupport; H, theseat; I, the dashboard; J, the forward wheel; K, the springs.

I forward the board L is moved back and forth on the base L, and it may be'secured in any convenient position.

M is a window in the cabdoor. 1

N is the lower portion of the cab door.

N is the upper portion of the cab-doorcoir taining the window M. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.) N are hinges whereby these two portions are hinged together, the hinges being secured to the lower standards, N and the upper standards, -N*, as shown in Fig. 7.

N is a rod or foot-piece on N to receive the lower ends of the bars N when the same are folded down, as shown in Fig. 6, thus holding them securely in position.

N is a lock-latch on the piece N and adapted to pass into an aperture, N on the piece N, and hold the same in its elevated position. This pin can be turned and removed when the door is to be foldeddown.

of one continuous rod and bent at the point 0 and supported by the chain 0* in the usual This pivoted double rod or triangle is at rest. 0* is the bottom of the cab from which this rod is suspended.

A is the forward side frame of the cabwindow, secured by the hinges A A A is the forward upper portion of-the window-frame.

C is a lock-pin on the link C.

M M' are grooves on the inner edge of the door frames or posts, in which the window M slides vertically.

5 The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

First. In reference to the supporting-rods: The supporting-rods are-designed by me, as shown in the drawings herewith, equally to support the opposite sides of the cab, so that when the cab is at rest a person standing on the edge thereof will not throw the cab to one side, which often occurs in eabswhere a single vertical rod is used as a support.

Second. In regard to the cab-seat: Vhen a heavy person is in the cab, it will readily be seen that the driver, in order to properly balance the cab, should notoccupy the same posi- 11011 with reference to the supporting center 2c of the wheels as when there is a light person or load. Therefore I adopt my improved sliding seat. This improvement is also designed to accommodate the cab to the use of drivers of different weight.

Third. With reference to the window-frame: In cabs as shown in my drawings the windows of the cab proper, B, are adapted to slide down into the body of the cab. This I do not show, as it is well known. When the cab is 0 folded for summer use, the window is first forced down into position and then the portion of the frame A is removed, and the forward portion of the frame is folded down on the top of the window, as shown in Fig. 1, thus leaving the carriage open.

Fourth. In reference to the top: The top is composed of two sections, both being of the ordinary size and character. Along the inner upper side edges of the cab-body are securely 4o fastened the ways 0 They are hollow, and they may be tubular or any other desired shape. W'ithin them rcciproeates the extensible or telescopic rod 0, which projects upward through the longitudinal slot C, so that 5 in all positions the upper surface of the rod and way will be in the same horizontal plane. Pivoted to the outer end of the rod 0* is the link 0, which is also secured to the top piece, 0. Now, if the rear end of the top piece, 0,

be elevated so as to be elevated above the portion 0 of the top, and then be thrown to the rear, the link C will then straighten out into the position shown in Fig. 9, where it is locked by the pin 0. By further pulling the piece 0 toward the rear the two parts will be telescoped together, as shown in Fig. 9, the rods 0 retreating, leaving the top telescoped together, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fifth. In reference to the doors: The doors are made also in folding sections. The window in the door of the cab slides downward, the same as the window in the side, and thus the window M, in the first instance, slides down into the grooves h 2 M". The upper frame of the door N, consisting of the upper crosspiece and the side pieces, N N, is hinged at the sides of its side pieces to the side pieces of the lower portion of the door-frame N N, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

When the window has been pushed downward, as above described, the latch-pin N can be turned back and removed. Then the upper portion of the frame N can be folded down upon the hinge L", as shown in Figs. 7 and 4 in dotted lines, until it has reached the position shown in Fig. 6, where its lower end is engaged by the foot-piece N so as to keep the two pieces together. In this manner, as shown in Fig. 1, the entire front portion of the cab is removed, and the same may be folded so as to be a very desirable winter vehicle, as Shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A cab-support consisting of rods pivoted at the sides of the cab and connected together below and beneath the forward part of the cab.

2. In a cab-body, the combination of divided sections of the top, with a guideway secu red to the body, and a bar which slides in the way and is hinged at its forward end to the forward end of the eabtop.

3. In a cab-body, folding doors consisting of upper and lowerseetions hinged at the side, and the upper section adapted to fold downward upon the lower.

4. A folding cab body provided with a top composed of two sections, one of which remains permanently in position and the other adapted to be slightly elevated and then moved parallel to the first, backward and'upon the same.

5. A folding cab body provided with a top composed of two sections, one of which remains permanently in position and the other adapted to be slightly elevated and then moved parallel to the first, backward upon the same, in combination with folding doors the upper parts of which fold down upon the lower, and sectional hinged window-frames, whereby the doors, top, and windows of the cab maybe folded away so as to leave the body open.

CHARLES A. READE.

\Vitnesses:

Framers W. PARKER, CORA L. CADWALLADER. 

